How Will You Celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Week?

“The next troll?” I asked as I turned to figure out what Biz was talking about. He was drawing away in the backseat of the car.

“The troll, Mom. When will we get there?”

“Do you mean the tollbooth?”

“YES! The troll booth.”

“We’ll be to the next one soon. And it’s called a tollbooth. Why do you ask?”

At this point G and my husband were giggling at Biz’s semantics as we drove along the New York Thruway, heading home from an epic Syracuse trip on New Year’s Day.

“Oh. Toll booth. I have a picture for the tollbooth people.”

My husband often lets whoever is sitting behind the driver hand the money to the person at the tollbooth. As the car slows and the window rolls down, he reminds either G or Biz to greet the person in the tollbooth and to remember to say thank you when we drive away. That day, we wished everyone a happy new year.

Our last two stops at the toll booth included a greeting, a happy new year and an original piece of artwork from Biz. It was completely random and completely Biz’s idea.

The first recipient of the artwork was an older woman with a blank face. She received the money and the small picture and didn’t flinch. Until she realized what she had in her hand. My husband explained that Biz, age 5, wanted to give her a picture he drew. Her face lit up with a huge smile, and she shared that she used to teach preschool. She leaned over to personally thank Biz.

The second recipient was a younger woman. When she saw the picture, she smiled an equally big smile, giggled a bit and told us we made her day.

We’ll probably never see those women again, but I’d like to think that we Biz made them a little happier about working a major holiday in a tollbooth. Who knows? Maybe they responded by performing their own acts of kindness.

I share this story with you because today marks the first day of Random Acts of Kindness Week. From February 10-16, 2014, you are encouraged to “step out of your normal routine or comfort zone and attempt a new random act of kindness each day.”

The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation website has tons of kindness ideas and resources. You can even download a RAK Week bookmark, write something kind on it, and leave it in a book you find at a local library or bookstore. Imagine the happiness you’ll spread!

I love that Biz wanted to share his artwork with the ‘troll’ workers. Kids think nothing of being kind and sweet, and we should all follow their lead more often. LOVE this!Nicole @ Work in Sweats Mama recently posted..10 Reasons to Hit the Trails and a Giveaway

Thanks for letting me know about Random Act of Kindness week. I loved your story about your son sharing his artwork with toll booth employees. It’s the little things that spread joy, smiles and kindness in the world. Thanks for this heartwarming story and your suggestions to spread a little kindness this week!Linda Davidson recently posted..Sharing thanks for relaxing with art at MOMA with friends

The drawing in the post is one he was commissioned to draw via FB. Sadly, the “troll booth” incident happened so quickly, I never had the chance to snap a photo of the drawings he handed out. It was a very spur of the moment thing for him.anotherjennifer recently posted..Wordless Wednesday: Glazed Before and After

I just checked out your list and I love the idea of praising a colleague to his/her boss. I work in the nonprofit sector with some very dedicated people whose commitment often goes unnoticed (and certainly isn’t rewarded with a big paycheck). Taking the time to say thank you to them – and giving them props to their superior – is a simple and lovely idea!Katie @ Pick Any Two recently posted..5 Teachable Toddler Moments at the Doctor’s Office

I’ve worked in the nonprofit sector for about ten years. Everyone wears multiple hats. All the time. It is often a thankless, yet truly fulfilling, job. I too love the idea of taking the time to tell a supervisor about work well done. More people need to do this!anotherjennifer recently posted..Philanthropy Friday: The Evolved Dog

Toll clearly didn’t make much sense to him. I can see why he referred to it as the troll booth. Trolls can be found in books. It was pretty awesome.anotherjennifer recently posted..Jennifer, the Name Fad

Any time is a good time to perform random acts of kindness. I let a few people by in traffic today and held the door open for a few people. I was super proud of Biz for coming up with the idea himself. My husband is good for RAKs and he often does them with the boys – bringing donuts to the fire station or paying for a person’s coffee. It rubs off!

I love that Biz did that. It really is the little things in life that make us happy. I didn’t really leave the house yesterday but I am doing that SITS challenge and I made it a point to do something extra with everyone besides comment (such as follow, share, or pin). I’m not sure that’s a random act of kindness but little things like that I notice myself and appreciate when they are done for me.Michelle recently posted..5 Tips to Make the Most of a Blog Commenting Challenge

I think that was a very nice thing that Biz did for these tollbooth operators. The simples, kindest act by one person to another may be all that’s needed to turn a person’s day around. I can’t say what I might do for another, but as you said it’s a random act. So, I shall wait to be moved by the Almighty! Thanks for stopping by this morning! 😉Cathy Kennedy recently posted..Wordless Wednesday: Graveyard Fields

Love this (both the trolls and the kindness). Been thinking it’s about time to introduce the concept to my girl and see where it takes us. Can’t wait to see where it takes us 🙂Tricia recently posted..Lovely little things, 5

I love, love, LOVE this post! I’m a day (make that week) late and a dollar (make that thousands of dollars) short (as usual), so I’ve missed the boat to participate in RAK week, however, I did recently pay forward a RAK done to me some months ago. The person ahead of me in the Starbucks drive-thru paid for my order. A perfect stranger! It blew me away. So I did the same for the person behind me in the S’bux drive-thru. As RAKs go, perhaps not the grandest gesture, but I know how much it made my day when it happened to me, so I hope it made the day of the person in line behind me when I bought her coffee. In regards to Biz’s art offering, I work in a public library, and I adore artwork from the kids who come in to the library. I love the sweetness of the gesture, the open sharing of their creative little souls.

Thanks for stopping by my blog during the SITS Saturday Sharefest and leaving a comment!Susie Sward recently posted..Free Stuff

Any time is a good time for a RAK, Susie. I’ve heard that paying for the person behind you in the drive thru can be one of those acts that goes on for hours. It feels good to be on the giving and receiving end!anotherjennifer recently posted..Wordless Wednesday: Ice Castles, Loon Mountain, NH